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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. craft — boats
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cold — an illness
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cold — not warm
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com